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Egg Server

Artist Robert Hamilton (British, 1772-1848)
Dateca. 1820
Dimensions2 15/16 in. (7.5 cm)
diameter: 5 5/8 in. (14.3 cm)
weight: 37 oz.
Classification(s)
  • DEC ARTS
Credit LineGift of the late Stanton E. Tefft, '47 and the Marie Elaine Tefft Revocable Trust
Object numberM.2015.22
DescriptionThe silver egg server was made by Hamilton & Co in Calcutta around 1810. Robert Hamilton was sent to India by the East India Company to make silver for the English, who were then running the country, that was more suitable to their tastes than the locally produced silver. Mr. Hamilton initially made silver under his own name/marks until approximately 1808 when he established the company, which was known as the Garrard of India, under license from the EIC.

The egg server weighs approximately 37 oz. It is 7.5 cm high, not counting the finial, 13.7 cm interior diameter and 14.3 cm exterior diameter. Wynyard R.T. Wilkinson has written two very good books on Indian Colonial Silver and examples of a few pieces made by Hamilton are illustrated therein. As I said previously, the only example of his work I have been able to find on this continent is a pot of much later date made by his company and owned by the William & Francine Clark Museum.
On View
On view
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